Henry: Virtuous Prince

(Paperback)

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The first instalment of the highly anticipated biography of Henry VIII, written by one of the UK's most popular, established and exciting historians. Henry: Virtuous Prince' is a radical re-evaluation of the monarchy's most enduring icon.
Henry VIII was Britain's most powerful monarch, yet he was not born to rule. Thrust into the limelight after the sudden death of his elder brother, Prince Arthur, Henry ascended the throne in 1509, marking the beginning of a reign that altered the course of English history.

In his youth Henry was highly intelligent, athletic and musically talented. He excelled in Latin and Mathematics and was an accomplished musician. On his accession to the throne, aged just seventeen, after the tumultuous rule of his father, he provided England with hope of a new beginning.

Nobody could have foreseen how radical Henry's rule would prove to be. Often overshadowed by the bloody saga of his six marriages, his reign has left a lasting legacy. An absolute monarch, Henrys quest for fame was as obsessive as any modern celebrity. His fierce battles against Papal authority mark one of the most dramatic and defining moments in the history of Britain. Yet his early life was insecure. The Tudor regime was viewed by many as rule by usurpers and the dark shadows of the Wars of the Roses often threatened to tear England apart once more.

The culmination of a lifetime's research, David Starkey gives a radical and unforgettable portrait of the man behind the icon; the Renaissance prince turned tyrant, who continues to tower over history.

Reviews

This book is Starkeys masterpiece. Sunday Times

Brilliant. Every page has an intimate fascination. An accessible and entertaining book. Hilary Mantel, Guardian

Demonstrates Starkeys scholarship and authorial panache. Daily Mail

'Writing with a mixture of tabloid verve and original scholarship, peppering every page with pungent wit and yet never skimping on the detailthe best political history of the reign of Henry VIII so faran outstanding overture.' John Guy, Sunday Times

If you like Henry VIII, this is what you'll like. Tim Martin, Daily Telegraph (Books of the Year)

Starkey gives us an unexpectedly fresh-faced Henry VIII in his breezy biography. Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph (Books of the Year)

It is brilliant, beady-eyed history, and every page of it has an intimate fascinationStarkey has eschewed the easy wisdom of hindsighthis strength is that he questions everythinghe seeks fresh evidencehis writing is uncluttered and conversational, and he cuts through the back-storywith grace, clarity and witaccessible and entertaining. Guardian

Author Bio

By David Starkey